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Franklin Stone and Invictus Allies


grandmastergm

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Hello everyone,

 

I'm going to a 2020 Champions Presidential election featuring a contest between Franklin Stone and Invictus.  I need allies that both would have- that would be potential or actual enemies for the players.  

 

Here's the game description below:

Champions: Presidential Smackdown 2020 (Stone vs Invictus)!The controversial business mogul Franklin Stone was elected President in 2016 in an upset, and is now running for re-election. He's up against the charismatic ex-superhero David Sutherland aka Invictus. Is this a classic case of good vs evil or is all hell about to break loose?

The players are a member of The Punishers, a super-team in the great city of Freedom City (what name New York CIty adopted to celebrate the Allied victory in WW2, although many residents still call it by its old name out of nostalgia). Their rivals, the Freedom Legion (the city's premier super-team), are away on a mission out of the country for PRIMUS (this world's equivalent of SHIELD). Conveniently enough, the two Presidential candidates are going to have their final debate in the Freeport section of Freedom City (where the Punishers are based out of). The game starts out with The Punishers making their decision on how they want to approach this latest turn of events (they're a private team, unlike the city-sponsored Freedom Legion). The players are Very High-Powered at 650 points and 100 points of complications (roughly Justice League)..

The game does contain allegories and jokes about contemporary American and global politics that skewer all sides and ideologies, so please be aware of this.

 

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Interesting premise. I'll try to answer your request in relation to the official Champions Universe, because these characters are derived from it and the CU provides a common reference. It's easiest to consider Franklin Stone, since his entry in CV1 mentions allies and enemies. David Sutherland has insulated himself more from the Superhuman World, and his public reputation as a superhero makes it less likely for supervillains to associate with him. But some possible connections can still be derived.

 

Stone's most probable "super" ally would be VIPER. ACI and VIPER have conducted covert but highly profitable business for years. Moreover, VIPER's leadership holds a considerable grudge against Sutherland from his battles with them as Invictus. It shouldn't be hard for Stone to contract any of their assets he needs, including prominent Senator Arthur Bolton, secretly one of VIPER's governing Council of Thirty.

 

Franklin Stone could also receive support in this presidential race from another very influential Senator, Phillip Glassman. Glassman has lobbied fervently against superhumans ever since the death of his daughter in a super battle, and the prospect of a superhuman occupying the Oval Office might be his worst nightmare. It would certainly be high on the nightmare list for Glassman's allies, the Institute for Human Advancement. We would expect the IHA to launch a PR campaign against David Sutherland for President, and maybe launch their Minuteman robots against him as well.

 

ARGENT considers Advanced Concepts Industries to be a major rival, and would love to remove Franklin Stone from its list of competitors. But there would be no compelling reason for them to side with the former Invictus, even to hurt Stone... unless some of Sutherland's Century Corpsmen have made inroads into the ranks of ARGENT, and make a connection between the corporation and their mentor. ARGENT technology, and the mercenary supervillains it often hires, would make very useful assets for Sutherland.

 

Because the Century Corps are indoctrinated in the cult of Sol Invictus, some of them may also have been drawn into the Circle of the Scarlet Moon, whose members commonly propitiate pagan gods in exchange for power. The Archdruids of the Circle are bound to see the benefits to having an ally sympathetic to their methods, and sharing their goal of global domination, in the world's most powerful office. The Scarlet Moon brings to the table a ton of money, political and social influence and savvy, and subtle magic.

 

Geoffrey Haganstone is noted as "socially acquainted" with David Sutherland, and the two of them share much in common in their backgrounds: scions of famous politicians, raised in wealth and privilege, having many contacts in politics and high society. They also both have super powers, Haganstone secretly being the master villain Holocaust. If Sutherland sought to bring Haganstone onto his team, Holocaust might see the benefit to his own ambitions to form at least a temporary alliance. Maybe even act in his costumed identity to Sutherland's benefit.

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2 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Interesting premise...Geoffrey Haganstone is noted as "socially acquainted" with David Sutherland, and the two of them share much in common in their backgrounds: scions of famous politicians, raised in wealth and privilege, having many contacts in politics and high society. They also both have super powers, Haganstone secretly being the master villain Holocaust. If Sutherland sought to bring Haganstone onto his team, Holocaust might see the benefit to his own ambitions to form at least a temporary alliance. Maybe even act in his costumed identity to Sutherland's benefit.

 

I like your suggestions, thank you Lord Liaden.  You are quite the resource!

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Also keep in mind that as incumbent POTUS, David Sutherland could fabricate legitimate-sounding reasons to direct any of America's numerous government superhuman assets against your PCs. Champions Universe lists quite a few, from the Department of Justice (FBI and PRIMUS), the Defense Department (generally or with specific military branches), and the intelligence services.

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27 minutes ago, Lord Liaden said:

Also keep in mind that as incumbent POTUS, David Sutherland could fabricate legitimate-sounding reasons to direct any of America's numerous government superhuman assets against your PCs. Champions Universe lists quite a few, from the Department of Justice (FBI and PRIMUS), the Defense Department (generally or with specific military branches), and the intelligence services.

...and then he sicc'd Felix 9 (from the Hero system Book "Allies") on them.  Ask me for more details.

(I do have a 6e write up of him.)

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Both candidates can secretly hire almost any villain for almost any job against their opponent. Invictus can do more with government agencies while Stone can do more in the private sector (hiring hackers, detectives, and other grey agents).

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5 hours ago, Dravencour said:

Knowing what an utter scumbag Stone is in Champions Online, and knowing Invictus from Thundrax's stories and what an utter scumbag he is, I can only say...hoooooo boy.

 

Scumbags who are also very smart, and who wield great power. The most dangerous combination.

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